The 3D-printed house

A multi-story robotic construction system capable of printing entire buildings, including foundations and roofing structures, reducing installation times and manpower requirements. Icon, a leading 3D printing company in the construction sector, decided to go big in demonstrating its potential with a concrete example, constructing an entire building in Austin, Texas, the intriguingly named Phoenix House.

Designed in collaboration with the BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, the building was constructed with a printing system named "Vulcan", which uses a special cement mixture known as "Lavacrete", deposited layer by layer to create the building's main walls and structures. The end result is a strong and durable construction, long-lasting, and capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions.

The design of the house is rather unusual and probably needs a bit of refinement. Nonetheless, considering this a prototype, its sinuous lines and open spaces still convey the feel of a modern environment, while the use of 3D-printed concrete allows for detailed customization and unprecedented construction speeds.

Rapid implementation, reduced costs, and high-efficiency materials are just some of the advantages provided by this innovative methodology. Phoenix House is not just a prototype, but a true working model that demonstrates the feasibility of 3D printing in residential construction. This project represents a significant step towards democratizing access to high-quality, sustainable, and customizable homes, responding to the growing need for affordable housing around the world. The cost for projects using this system is around $270 per square meter for wall systems and around $860 per square meter if foundations and roofing are included.

Using this approach, Icon has built more than 130 homes across the United States and Mexico and plans to build the world's largest 3D-printed neighborhood. They have participated in a NASA project to create a model habitat for Mars and are working on developing 3D-printed structures on the Moon, including landing pads, roads, and habitats, as part of the Olympus Project.